Seraphs fanning air

Deep interest in air spirits is common to Melville and Philip St George Cooke or his ghostwriter.

A previous post cited textual evidence from Mardi and commentary by Bret Zimmerman. But somehow we neglected a great example, one sentence that closely parallels one sentence in the January 1852 installment of "Scenes Beyond the Western Border."

"Even now, we may be inhaling the ether, which we fancy seraphic wings are fanning." 

--From Melville's Mardi (1849)

via Architectural Review

"The air, methinks, is fanned by seraphic spirits on their winged errands of Peace!" 

-- January 1852 Scenes Beyond the Western Border; and  

Scenes and Adventures in the Army.